I am Deputy scientific director for Agriculture at INRAE, and senior researcher in applied economics at the Center for Environmental Economics of Montpellier (CEE-M)
My current research focuses on the economics of agriculture and environment, with particular attention to the design and evaluation of the Common agricultural policy (notably , the cost-benefit analysis of CAP simplification, the protection of biodiversity and water resources, the support to small farms). I also work on urban bioeconomy.
Methodologically, I combine micro-econpmicsl and behavioural economics, using experimental approaches (choice experiments, as well as lab and RCT) to design and evaluate better policies.
I al head co-leading wiith Pauline Lécole a great Web site in French on the Common agricultural policy: with news, online courses, videos, articles, online games to simulate CAP negotiations. Everything you need to know as a student, a journalist, a policy-maker, a practitionner, or just as a curious and open mind!
https://capeye.fr/ CAP-eye, l’œil sur la PAC
Lécole P., Préget, R. and Thoyer S., 2025, Supporting the small market gardening sector in France: comparison of two policy options, Ecological Economics, 238,108722 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolecon.2025.108722
Chabé-Ferret, S., Le Coënt P., Lefebvre C., Préget R.,Salanié F., Subervie J., and Thoyer S. 2024, When nudges backfire: evidence from a randomised field experiment to boost biological pest control. Annals of Economics and Statistics, 2024, 156, pp.9. ⟨10.2307/48804180⟩
Limbach, K., Rozan A., Le Coënt P., Préget, R. and Thoyer S., 2023, Can collective conditionality improve agri-environmental contracts? From lab to field experiments, Review of Agricultural, Food and Environmental Studies, https://doi.org/10.1007/s41130-023-00198-2
Rommel, J. Sagebiel, M-C Baaken, J. Barreiro-Hurlé, … S. Thoyer, … et al., 2023, Farmers' risk preferences in 11 European farming systems: A multi‐country replication of Bocquého et al. Applied Economic Perspectives and Policy, 45, pp 1374-1399, https://doi.org/10.1002/aepp.13330
Lécole P., Préget R., and Thoyer S., 2022, Designing an effective small farmers scheme in France, Ecological Economics, 191, 107229, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolecon.2021.107229
Le Coënt P., Preget R. et Thoyer S, 2021, Farmers follow the herd : a theoretical model on social norms and payments for environmental services, Environmental and Resource Economics, 78: 287-306, https://doi.org/10.1007/s10640-020-00532-y
Thoyer S. and Préget R., 2019, Enriching the CAP evaluation toolbox with experimental approaches: introduction to the special issue, European Review of Agricultural Economics, Vol 46(3), pp 347-366, https://doi.org/10.1093/erae/jbz024 (also co-editor of this special issue)
Kuhfuss L., Preget R., Thoyer S., Hanley N, 2016, Nudging farmers to sign agri-environmental contracts: the effects of a collective bonus, European Review of Agricultural Economics, Vol 43, No 3, pp 609-636, https://doi.org/10.1093/erae/jbv031
Lefebvre M, Gangadharan L, Thoyer S., 2012, Do security-differentiated water rights improve the performance of water markets?, American Journal of Agricultural Economics, 94(5) pp 1113-1135
Bureau J-C and Thoyer S, 2014, La Politique agricole commune, Editions La Decouverte- collection Repères, 124 pages (ISBN 978-2-7071-8210-4)
04/04/2025 - Bibliothèque nationale de France François Mitterrand, La crise agricole et la PAC, Table ronde avec François Purseigle et Thierry Pouch,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Imv_LliMeO8
28/02/2025 - France culture – France Culture Grands Reportages -Les Hauts-de-France peuvent-ils sortir des pesticides? https://www.radiofrance.fr/franceculture/podcasts/le-grand-reportage/les-hauts-de-france-peuvent-ils-sortir-des-pesticides-9438823
30/10/2024 - France Culture - Crise de l'agriculture, le futur est-il dans le pré?